THE success of the Pop-Up shop in Wellington – which allows small businesses and organisations a spot on the high street – has been hailed as a ‘jewel in the crown’ of the town.

Wellington Town Council launched the Fore Street Pop-Up shop in the autumn of 2019 to give entrepreneurs an opportunity to try out their business ideas in a real life high street scenario with real customers.

When it is not rented commercially for periods of between one and four weeks it is available to charities and other groups.

The town council agreed at its latest monthly meeting – held via Zoom conferencing technology – to take up a new two-year lease on the Pop-Up shop.

Cllr John Thorne said: “I think we should make an early decision on this as we have seen how popular it is.

“We might even look for second premises and open up a second Pop-Up shop because of its popularity.”

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikoswky added: “The Pop-Up shop is fantastic – credit to all who has worked on this.”

And Cllr Dean Bradley said: “It is a jewel in the crown of Wellington and we should get onto this as quickly as possible.”

Councillors agreed unanimously to support the recommendation from the Wellington Town Centre Committee to take up a new two-year lease on the Pop-Up shop subject to approval from the store owner.

Members of the town centre committee had said at their recent meeting that they should wait to see what happens with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and possible trading restrictions as that could affect bookings on the current Pop-Up shop.